66 CUMANA. 



14th December the great concussion took place at 

 Cumana. 



It has long been remarked that earthquakes ex- 

 tend their effects to much greater distances than 

 volcanoes ; and it is probable, as has just been men- 

 tioned, that the causes which produce the former 

 have an intimate connexion with the latter. When 

 se'ated within the verge of a burning crater, one feels 

 the motion of the ground several seconds before 

 each partial eruption. The phenomena of earth- 

 quakes seem strongly to indicate the action of elastic 

 fluids endeavouring to force their way into the at- 

 mosphere. On the shores of the South Sea the 

 concussion is almost instantaneously communicated 

 from Chili to the Gulf of Guaj^aquil, over a space 

 of 2070 miles. The shocks also appear to be so 

 much the stronger the more distant the country is 

 from active volcanoes ; and a province is more 

 agitated the smaller the number of funnels by which 

 the subterranean cavities communicate with the 

 open air. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Residence at Cumana. 



Lunar Halo-African Slaves — Excursion to the Peninsula ofAraya— 

 Geological Constitution of the Country — Salt-works of Araya — Indians 

 and 'Mulattoea — rearl-fishery — Manlfiuarez — Mexican Deer— Spring 

 of Naphtha. 



The occupations of our travellers were much dis- 

 turbed during the first weeks of their abode at Cu- 

 mana by the intrusion of persons desirous of ex- 

 amining their astronomical and other instruments. 

 They however determined the latitude of the great 

 square to be 10° 27' 52", and its longitude 66^ 30' 2". 



